The Female Design Council is proud to announce the third edition of The Female Design Council Grant. With the generous support of 1stDibs and NICOLEHOLLIS, the FDC Grant will award $20,000 in unrestricted funding to an exemplary woman of color in interior design. Applications will open on January 7, 2025, and the winner will be announced on March 25, 2025, in celebration of Womens History Month. In addition to financial support, the grant will include a 12-month membership in the Female Design Council, the premier professional network for women in design, and one-on-one mentorship from Nicole Hollis, founder of NICOLEHOLLIS and a 1stDibs 50 and AD100 interior designer. The winner will also be welcomed as a member of the 1stDibs Trade 1st program, where they enjoy a suite of benefits, including net price discounts and exclusive marketing opportunities.Two finalists will also be named, and will each receive a 12-month membership in the Female Design Council. 2024-2025 marks the third edition of the Female Design Council Grant, a biennial open competition created by the FDC as part of its mission to advocate for equity and inclusivity in the design industries. The FDC Grant is open to Black, Indigenous, Latina, and Asian American Pacific Islander female-identified designers based in the United States. Beyond a cash prize, the opportunity for industry recognition and high-level mentorship has been a game-changer for a historically under recognized group in design. Winners of previous cycles have gone on to gallery representation, high-level brand collaborations, major commercial commissions, and press accolades. Little Wing Lee, founder of Studio & Projects interior design firm and winner of the 20222023 FDC Grant, noted, I was truly honored to be the recipient of the Female Design Council Grant. Receiving incredible support and recognition was a wonderful investment in my studio. We were at an inflection point, and the FDC Grant gave me the opportunity and momentum to build and invest in future projects.The 20242025 edition of the Female Design Council is presented by 1stDibs and NICOLEHOLLIS, both longtime corporate supporters of the FDC. Nicole Hollis, founder of NICOLEHOLLIS, previously underwrote the 202223 cycle and served as a professional mentor to the winner, and 1stDibs has partnered with the FDC on numerous initiatives to support women in design since 2018. 1stDibs is proud to support a grant that empowers women by celebrating their achievements and providing resources to fuel creativity and drive their success in the design industry, said Karen Silveira, creative director, 1stDibs. This initiative reflects our commitment to fostering diversity and shaping a more inclusive future in design.JuryEach cycle of the FDC Grant has historically been juried by an outstanding group of design industry stars, from architects to editors to artists. True to form, the 20242025 FDC Grant will be juried by six icons in the industry: Lora Appleton, founder of the Female Design Council Elizabeth Graziolo, founder and principal, Yellow House Architects Nicole Hollis, founder, NICOLEHOLLIS Gabriella Khalil, creative director and cofounder, Palm Heights, and creative director, Water Street Projects WSA Camille Okhio, senior design writer, Elle Decor Karen Silveira, creative director, 1stDibs AboutAbout the Female Design Council:Founded in 2018 by Lora Appleton, the Female Design Council is the premier professional membership network and advocacy organization for women in architecture, design, and the applied arts. The FDC offers professional development opportunities, live and digital programming, and a vast collaborative network for its hundreds of members throughout the U.S. and Canada. As part of its mission to make the design industry more equitable and inclusive, the FDC continues to create important initiatives for the design community, including a free and open-to-all mentorship program, a robust exhibitions schedule, and an acclaimed grant program for Black, Latina, Indigenous, and AAPI designers. Each year, the FDC gifts 25 free memberships to emerging designers of color.About 1stDibs:1stDibs is a leading online marketplace connecting design lovers with highly coveted sellers and makers of vintage, antique, and contemporary furniture, home dcor, art, fine jewelry, watches, and fashion.About NICOLEHOLLIS:NICOLEHOLLIS conceives timeless interiors that elevate the human spirit. This award-winning collective of designers is led by creative director and principal Nicole Hollis in partnership with her husband, CEO Lewis Heathcote. NICOLEHOLLIS has been featured in Architectural Digest, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, GQ, Elle Decor, The World of Interiors, Wallpaper*, Surface, 1stDibs Introspective, and many other publications. The firm has received numerous prestigious awards including Elle Decor A-List, 1stDibs 50, HD Gold Key Awards, Interior Design Magazines Best of Year Awards, the 2023 ASID Designer of the Year Award, the 2024 Hospitality Design Designer of the Year, and has been named to Architectural Digests AD100.History of the FDC GrantIn 20202021, the Female Design Council launched the FDC Grant to recognize and reward two Black female designers, and, with the support of InCollect and BZippy, disbursed funds specifically to support a product designer or artist to bring a design prototype to market. The inaugural grant was awarded to furniture designer and sculptor Luam Melake and leather artisan Mia Wright-Ross. Since winning the grant, Melake is now represented by design gallery R&Co and has launched a collection with CB2, and Wright-Ross has been an Artist Fellow at the Museum of Art and Design and a faculty member at Parsons School of Design. In 20222023, the second edition of the FDC Grant, presented by NICOLEHOLLIS, focused on selecting an interior design studio founded by a woman of color, and the prize expanded to include both a cash award and mentorship by grant underwriter Nicole Hollis. The jury included Michael Chen, founder of Design Advocates, Tiana Webb Evans, founder of the Jamaica Arts Society, and Alison Levasseur, editor at Architectural Digest. Since winning the FDC Grant, awardee Little Wing Lee of Studio & Projects has been awarded the commission for the interior redesign of the National Black Theater of Harlem and launched a collection with RBW Lighting.For full eligibility and information on how to apply, visit https://www.femaledesigncouncil.org/grant.